DNA Structure

A DNA molecule is made up of several different components: Phosphate, Sugar, and one of four bases.
The four different bases are Thymine (T), Adenine (A), Cytosine (C) and Guanine (G).

The bases pair in certain ways: A and T always pair together and C and G always pair up together.

The chain starts out with a phosphate on the outside, followed by a sugar on the outside underneath.
One of the bases is connected to the sugar. A hydrogen bond connects this bases' pair.
This again connects to a sugar, and a phosphate, but this time it is underneath the sugar (on the opposite side).
This partner repeats 9 times within one molecule.

The sides that have a phosphate are the 5 prime ends. The sides that end with sugars are the 3 prime ends.




DNA Structure Animation


DNA Replication Animation